ASIA scale a descriptive tool developed by the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) as a part of the complete classification of patients with spinal cord injuries. Called also Frankel Classification. See accompanying table.

Bayley S's of Infant Development a psychological test for assessing development of infants, using motor, mental, and behavioral developmental scales.

Borg scale a numerical scale for assessing dyspnea, from 0 representing no dyspnea to 10 as maximal dyspnea.

Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment scale a behavioral assessment scale used to evaluate the interactive behavior of a newborn by its responses to environmental stimuli.

Celsius scale (C) a temperature scale with zero at the freezing point of water and the normal boiling point of water at 100 degrees. The abbreviation 100°C should be read “one hundred degrees Celsius.” (For equivalents of Celsius and Fahrenheit temperatures, see Appendix.)

centigrade scale one with 100 gradations or steps between two fixed points, as the Celsius scale.

Fahrenheit scale (F) a temperature scale with the freezing point of water at 32 degrees and the normal boiling point of water at 212 degrees. The abbreviation 100°F should be read “one hundred degrees Fahrenheit.” (For equivalents of Fahrenheit and Celsius temperatures, see Appendix.)

French scale one used for denoting the size of catheters, sounds, and other tubular instruments, each French unit (symbol F) being approximately 0.33 mm in diameter.

Glasgow Coma scale a standardized system for assessing response to stimuli in a neurologically impaired patient, assessing eye opening, verbal response, and motor ability. Reaction scores are depicted in numerical values, thus minimizing the problem of ambiguous and vague terms to describe the patient's neurologic status. (See accompanying Table.) The total score is obtained by adding E, M, and V; a score of 7 or less indicates coma and a score of 9 or more rules out coma.

Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale a hundred-point scale used as axis V of DSM-IV to assess a client's recent and current levels of social, psychological, and occupational functioning.

gray scale a representation of intensities in shades of gray, as in gray-scale ultrasonography.

interval scale a scale having equal numerical distances between intervals in addition to mutually exclusive categories, exhaustive categories, and rank ordering but no zero point.

Karnofsky scale (Karnofsky performance scale) a widely used performance scale, assigning scores ranging from 0 for a nonfunctional or dead patient to 100 for one with completely normal functioning.

Kelvin scale an absolute scale in which the unit of measurement, the kelvin, corresponds to that of the Celsius scale; therefore the ice point is at 273.15 kelvins.

Likert scale a tool used to determine opinions or attitudes; it contains a list of declarative statements, each followed by a scale on which the subject is to indicate degrees of intensity of a given feeling.

semantic differential scale a measurement device that consists of two opposite adjectives with a seven-point scale between them; each item under examination is assigned to a specific point on the scale.

temperature scale one for expressing degree of heat, based on absolute zero as a reference point, or with a certain value arbitrarily assigned to such temperatures as the ice point and boiling point of water.

Celsius scale (C) a temperature scale on which 0° is officially 273.15 kelvins and 100° is 373.15 kelvins. Formerly (and still, unofficially), the degree Celsius was called the degree centigrade, with 0° at the freezing point of fresh water and 100° at the boiling point under normal atmospheric pressure.

centigrade scale one in which the interval between two fixed points is divided into 100 equal units, as the Celsius scale.

Fahrenheit scale (F) a temperature scale with the ice point at 32 degrees and the normal boiling point of water at 212 degrees (212°F).

French scale a scale used for denoting the size of catheters, sounds, etc., each unit (symbol F) being roughly equivalent to 0.33 mm in diameter.

gray scale a representation of intensities in shades of gray, as in gray scale ultrasonography.

Kelvin scale an absolute temperature scale whose unit of measurement, the kelvin, is equivalent to the degree Celsius, the ice point therefore being at 273.15 kelvins.

temperature scale one for expressing degree of heat, based on absolute zero as a reference point, or with a certain value arbitrarily assigned to such temperatures as the ice point and boiling point of water.

scale

(skāl)

n.

1.

a. One of the many small hard dermal or epidermal structures that characteristically form the external covering of fishes and reptiles and certain mammals, such as pangolins.

b. A similar part in other animals, such as one of the thin flat overlapping structures that cover the wings of butterflies and moths.

2.

a. A dry thin flake of epidermis shed from the skin.

b. A skin lesion or lesions marked by such flakes.

v.scaled, scaling, scales

v.tr.

Dentistry To remove (tartar) from tooth surfaces with a pointed instrument.

Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale

Abbreviation: ABC

A 16-item instrument designed to measure a patient’s perceived level of confidence in performing common ADLs without losing balance and falling. The patient ranks his confidence to complete each item from 0% (no confidence) to 100% (complete confidence).

ASIA Impairment Scale

A method of assessing the degree of motor and sensory impairment in spinal cord injured patients. The assessment is based on an examination of the perineum and anus, i.e., on the S4-S5 level of the spinal cord. Grade: A – Complete: No motor or sensory function; Grade B – Incomplete, sensory function is intact, but motor function is absent below and including the S4-S5 level; Grade C – Incomplete, motor function is preserved below the neurological level and more than half of the primary muscles have a muscle grade test of less than 3; Grade D – Incomplete: Motor function is preserved and at least half of the muscles below the S4-S5 level have a muscle grade test of 3 or better; and Grade E – Normal.

Clinical Linguistic and Auditory Milestone Scale

scale of contrast

The range of densities on a radiograph; the number of tonal grays that are visible.

Disability Rating Scale

An instrument to gauge the functional capabilities and progress of a person with moderate to severe brain injury. A person who has no deficits after recovery from brain injury receives a score of 0 (not impaired). A severely impaired person who is unemployable, unable to care for himself, and unable to open his eyes, move, or speak receives the lowest score: 29.

Fahrenheit scale

Falls Efficacy Scale

, falls efficacy scale Abbreviation: FES

A questionnaire to assess the level of confidence that patients have in performing activities of daily living without fear of falling.

French scale

A system to indicate the diameter of catheters and sounds. Each unit on the scale is approximately equivalent to one-third mm; thus a 21 French sound is 7 mm in diameter. The size of the diameter of the catheter increases as the numerical value of French increases.

Geriatric Depression Scale

Abbreviation: GDS

A 30-item questionnaire to screen for depression in older adults, e.g., when they first become eligible for Medicare.

Glasgow Coma Scale

Abbreviation: GCS

A scale to determine a patient's level of consciousness. It is a rating from 3 to 15 of the patient's ability to open his eyes, respond verbally, and move normally. The GCS is used primarily during the examination of patients with trauma or stroke. Repeated examinations can help determine if the patient's brain function is improving or deteriorating. Many EMS systems use the GCS for triage purposes and for determining which patients should be intubated in the field.

Glasgow Outcome Scale

A scale that assesses current neurological awareness of the environment, and recovery and disability in all types of brain injury. The scale is to be used during the evaluation of trauma, stupor, or coma, and at prescribed time intervals, such as 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after injury. The Glasgow group reports the greatest recovery in the 6-month period after injury. The nurse (or other health care practitioner) notes the patient's abilities at a particular time using this practical scale: Good outcome: may have minimal disabling sequelae but returns to independent functioning comparable to preinjury level and a full-time job; Moderate disability: is capable of independent functioning but not of returning to full-time employment; Moderate disability: is capable of independent functioning but not of returning to full-time employment; Severe disability: depends on others for some aspect of daily living; Persistive vegetative state: has no obvious cortical functioning; Dead.

Global Assessment of Functioning Scale

Abbreviation: GAF scale

A scale that rates a person's social, occupational, and psychological functioning. The scale rates from high functioning, (i.e., highly adapted and integrated to one's environment) to poorly functioning (i.e., self-destructive, homicidal, isolated, or lacking the rudiments of self-care). There is a children’s version of the scale, called the Children’s Global Assessment of Functioning (CGAF).

Global Assessment of Relational Functioning Scale

Abbreviation: GARF scale

A measure of the degree to which a family meets the emotional and functional needs of its members.

hydrogen ion scale

A scale used to express the degree of acidity or alkalinity of a solution. The classic pH scale extends from 0.00 (total acidity) to 14 (total alkalinity), the numbers running in inverse order of hydrogen ion (pH) concentration. The pH value is the negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion (pH) concentration of a solution, expressed in moles per liter.

As the hydrogen ion concentration decreases, a change of 1 pH unit means a 10-fold decrease in hydrogen ion concentration. Thus a solution with a pH of 1.0 is 10 times more acid than one with a pH of 2.0 and 100 times more acid than one with a pH of 3.0. A pH of 7.0 indicates neutrality. Very concentrated (> 1molar) mineral acids and bases go beyond the classic scale to values < 0.00 and > 14, respectively.

As the hydrogen ion concentration varies in a definite reciprocal manner with the hydroxyl ion (OH-) concentration, a pH reading above 7.0 indicates alkalinity. In the human body, arterial blood is slightly alkaline, having a normal pH range of 7.35 to 7.45.

Oswestry Disability Scale

pain scale

Norton scale

Numerical Rating Scale

, Numeric Rating Scale. Abbreviation: NRS

A variation of the visual analog scale that uses a scalar numbering system to objectify a patient’s pain. Most numeric rating scales use a 10-cm line with tick marks spaced 1 cm apart. The leftmost mark is labeled “0” and has the notation “No Pain.” The rightmost mark is labeled “10” and the notation “Worst pain imaginable.” The patient is asked to indicate where on the continuum he or she would rate the current intensity of pain.

resource-based relative value scale

Abbreviation: RBRVS

A scale for determining the monetary value of evaluation and management services provided to patients, i.e., services provided to patients by nonsurgeons. The scale is based on the total work required for a given service and on other considerations, including the cost of the physician's practice, the income lost during training, and the relative cost of liability insurance.

Vancouver scar scale

visual analog scale

An instrument used to quantify a subjective experience, such as the intensity of pain. A commonly used visual analog scale is a 10-cm line labeled with “worst pain imaginable” on the right border and “no pain” on the left border. The patient is instructed to make a mark along the line to represent the intensity of pain currently being experienced. The clinician records the distance of the mark in centimeters from the left end of the scale.

2 scale

(skal) [Fr. escale, husk]

SCALE

1. A small dry flake, shed from the upper layers of skin. Some shedding of skin is normal; scale increases in diseases like pityriasis rosea, psoriasis, and tinea pedis and after scratching the skin. See: illustration

2. A film of tartar encrusting the teeth.

3. To remove a film of tartar from the teeth.

4. To form a scale on.

5. To shed scales.

illustration

3 scale

(skal) [Old Norse skál, bowl]

An instrument for weighing.

scale

any plate-like outgrowth of the integument of an organism, each in the form of a flat calcified or horny structure on the surface of the skin. Scales are found in fish, and in reptiles such as snakes where they are derived from both the epidermis and the dermis, and in insects (e.g. Lepidoptera) , where they are derived from hairs. See PLACOID, COSMOID, GANOID.

scale,

n a measuring system devised of units at regular intervals.

scale, 50 millesimal (LM)(fifˑ·tē m·leˑ·s·ml skālˑ),

n Hahnemann's potency scale for dispensing homeopathic medicines; developed by adding one part remedy to an alcohol/water solution of the rating 1 : 50,000. One drop is placed in 2 ml alcohol and succussed 100 times. A drop of this mixture is used to medicate 500 pellets or placed in a small amount of water for dosing.

Scale, Behavior Observation,

n.pr an observer-scored scale that rates activity, anxiety, and positive facial expressions with a three-point continuum on four scales. The observer is unaware of the subject's group identity.

Scale, Brief Psychiatric Rating,

n.pr a questionnaire that measures the severity of several psychiatric symptoms, such as self-neglect, hallucinations, conceptual disorganization, and suicidal tendencies.

Scale, Brief Social Phobia,

n.pr a questionnaire that measures characteristic symptoms in three categories: avoidance, fear, and psychologic arousal. The subscale results are combined to arrive at a total score.

Scale, Center for Epidemiology Studies—Depression,

n.pr a scale that is used to assess symptoms of depression.

scale, group environmental,

n in rehabilitation, a tool used to assess the patient's feelings about team conference, in which he or she plays an active role rather than being passively examined by a medical group.

Scale, Hamilton Anxiety and Depression,

n.pr commonly used rating scale to assess neurovegetative symptoms of anxiety and depression during a semistructured interview.

n.pr a measurement tool used to establish a person's frame of mind at a particular point in time. Used in clinical research, this self-report screening instrument specifically measures the following dimensions of mood: fatigue, anxiety, depression, confusion, vigor, and anger. Used for clinical research purposes, it only takes 3 to 5 minutes to complete. The participant is asked to assess how he or she has felt over a particular period of time on 65 adjectives, such as anxious, grouchy, or guilty. A higher score indicates a higher level of disturbance or distress on the dimension described. Also called POMS.

Scale, Profile of Mood States Depression,

n.pr a questionnaire with 14 items to have subjects rate their current mood based on the adjectives listed.

Scale, Roland-Morris,

n.pr in chiropractic medicine, a parameter used to monitor the patient's progress throughout the treatment period. Specifically, the questionnaire evaluates changes in a patient's functions and focuses on activity intolerances associated with a patient's lower back problem. Versions with 18 or 24 questions are available. It is administered at the initial point of contact with a patient, with follow-up every 2 to 4 weeks. See also Oswestry instrument.

Scale, Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form C,

n.pr a standardized test used to measure an individual's ability to be hypnotized. Unlike the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A, this test is not recommended for use in routine clinical practice, and a skilled technician can administer the assessment to an individual within an hour. A larger percentage of participants also report the development of undesirable side effects—including nausea, disorientation, or headache—than those persons who take the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A. See also Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A.

Scale, StateTrait Anxiety,

n.pr a self-report screening instrument used to assess a person's feelings of overall tension, apprehension, worry, and nervousness at a particular point in time. A higher score indicates a higher level of anxiety.

Scale, Touch Sensitivity,

n.pr a 22-item scale used to collect feedback to various types of touch, such as dis-like of being touched unintentionally.

Scale, visual analog(viˑ·zhōō·l aˑ·n·lôg skalˑ),

n an instrument used to quantify the subjective experience of pain and other conditions and to communicate this information to a healthcare provider, usually in values rating on a 100 cm line with 0 indicating no pain and 100 indicating the most severe pain possible. Also called VAS.

Scale, Vitas Pain,

n.pr scale used to indicate intensity of pain from headaches. The scale starts at zero with no pain and increases in intensity to 10, indicating the worst pain. Graphically represented faces are associated with the even numbers on the scale corresponding to the amount of pain with the faces indicating very happy, happy, contented, somewhat distressed, distressed, and very distressed.

Scales, Beck Anxiety and Depression,

n.pl a questionnaire that asses-ses severity of anxiety and depression in adolescents and adults.

scale

(skāl)

To remove tartar from the teeth.

2. To desquamate.

[L. scala, a stairway]

scale

1. a thin flake or compacted platelike body, as of cornified epithelial cells.

a disease of snakes with no specific cause, characterized by ulceration of the skin at multiple sites. Death is the usual sequel.

Patient discussion about scale

Q. how do i grade the severeness of my asthma? is there like a common scale for it?

A. Yes, it's graded according to the frequency of the day-time (from 2 days in a week to continuous symptoms) and night time (from 2 nights per month to every night) symptoms. The more frequent the disease, the more aggressive the treatment is.

You may read more here:http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Asthma/Asthma_WhatIs.html

Q. how would recognize the severeness of every Autistic person? is there like a known chart and scale for it???

A. there's the "Social Responsiveness Scale" (SRS). The SRS measures the severity of social impairment associated with autism spectrum disorders.

com produces money management software that mandates that the user scale back winning positions, and buy into price weakness thereby capitalizing on the volatility that is going to define this market bottom.

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